What Are the Drivers of Child Marriage? A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policies and Programs

Stephanie R Psaki,Andrea J Melnikas,Eashita Haque,Grace Saul,Christina Misunas,Sangram K Patel,Thoai Ngo,Sajeda Amin

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.09.001

Stephanie R Psaki, Andrea J Melnikas + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.09.001

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Abstract

PurposeThe child marriage field lacks a simplified framework that connects an understanding of the drivers of child marriage for girls to decisions about the design of interventions to delay marriage within different contexts and support married girls. MethodsWe reviewed existing child marriage frameworks and conducted consultations with experts working on child marriage. We then developed a simplified conceptual framework describing the key drivers of child marriage for girls. We explored how these drivers play out and interact using qualitative data from three settings where child marriage is common: Bangladesh, Malawi, and Niger. ResultsThe final conceptual framework lays out five core drivers of child marriage for girls, which vary and interact across contexts. Social norms and poverty are shown as core drivers that underlie lack of agency, lack of opportunity, and pregnancy/fear of pregnancy. These drivers reflect community, household, and individual-level factors. The case studies highlight the important relationships between these drivers, and the way they interact within each context. We use these examples to explore how policymakers and practitioners might identify the most appropriate interventions to address child marriage across different settings. ConclusionsWe offer this framework as a starting point to guide more targeted interventions and policies that address the complex combination of child marriage drivers within each setting. By adapting this framework to different settings, those designing and implementing child marriage prevention interventions can identify the key drivers in each setting, understand how those drivers interact, and more effectively target effective interventions.

Highlights

The child marriage field lacks a simplified framework that connects an understanding of the drivers of child marriage for girls to decisions about the design of interventions to delay marriage within different contexts and support married girls
This paper presents a conceptual framework laying out five hypothesized drivers of child marriage: poverty/material context, social norms/normative context, lack of opportunity, lack of agency, and fear of girls’ sexuality and pregnancy
Poverty/economic factors and social norms/attitudes contribute to a lack of opportunity for girls in many settings, which might make child marriage more appealing, both to girls and their families

Summary

Introduction

The child marriage field lacks a simplified framework that connects an understanding of the drivers of child marriage for girls to decisions about the design of interventions to delay marriage within different contexts and support married girls. We developed a simplified conceptual framework describing the key drivers of child marriage for girls We explored how these drivers play out and interact using qualitative data from three settings where child marriage is common: Bangladesh, Malawi, and Niger. Conclusions: We offer this framework as a starting point to guide more targeted interventions and policies that address the complex combination of child marriage drivers within each setting By adapting this framework to different settings, those designing and implementing child marriage prevention interventions can identify the key drivers in each setting, understand how those drivers interact, and more effectively target effective interventions. Researchers have proposed various frameworks laying out the hypothesized drivers, correlates, and outcomes of child marriage, with a good deal of overlap between frameworks Many of these frameworks are complex, narrowly focused on one setting, or they lack a clear connection to policies or interventions. The field lacks a simple, unified framework that brings together an understanding of the drivers of child marriage for girls with clear implications for how programs and policies can better target the unique combination of drivers between and within settings

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